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19 History AIR FORCE February 19, 2009 FUNK RD ZISCHKE RD THALLON RD NIEMEYER RD RUSTYS CAFE WARREGO HWY CALLING ALL DEFENCE FORCE PERSONNEL IF YOU ARE BASED AT AMBERLEY OR BEING TRANSFERRED TO AMBERLEY YOU NEED TO ESCAPE TO THE LEAFY SURROUNDS OF... GATTON IPSWICH 4 SOLD IN 4 WEEKS $129,950 $129,950 PRICED TO SELL Lot 51 - 5,120m2 By Andrew Stackpool APRIL 25 is traditionally recog- nised as the day in which the nation pauses to reflect upon the service and sacrifices of its Servicemen and women. Arguably, therefore, it is fitting that on April 17 the sacrifice of a single aircrew of Air Force personnel from the RAAF and RAF will be commem- orated in Germany. Shortly before midnight on April 16, 1945, Halifax MkBIII bomber MZ- 467 (Z5-C) from A-Flight, 462SQN RAAF took off from RAF Foulsham in the UK on a bombing mission against the Luftwaffe's Goblingen fighter air- field near the Austrian border. In addition to its load of incendiary bombs and flares, the aircraft was fit- ted with two long-range fuel tanks. In command was FLGOFF Allan Lodder from Brisbane. Born on May 24, 1923, he enlisted in the RAAF on May 23, 1942. His crew comprised flight engi- neer SGT John Gray, navigator FSGT Edward Windus, bomb aimer FSGT Peter Naylor, wireless operator FSGT Cecil Foster (RAAF), special duties operator SGT Eric Tisdell (RAAF), mid-upper gunner SGT Robert McGarvie, and tail gunner SGT Ron Casterton. Near Augsburg, FLGOFF Lodder commenced his bombing run when the Halifax suddenly shuddered vio- lently, stalled and began to dive steep- ly; its control columns were jammed forward. A Ju-88 nightfighter flown by Oberfeldwebel (FLTSGT) Ludwig Schmidt from Nachtjagdeschwader (NJG) 6 attacked the aircraft twice, firing 200 20mm rounds into it. The effects were instantaneous. The Halifax burst into flames, which spread quick- ly. FSGT Windus was killed instantly and SGT Gray died in the cockpit. FLGOFF Lodder tried to order the crew to bale out but had lost all com- munications. The cockpit was also on fire and he was badly burned all over his head when his oxygen mask caught fire. He had just put on his parachute and jettisoned the pilot's escape hatch when he blacked out. He came to and found himself free-falling but man- aged to open his parachute before he blacked out again. He broke his right foot on landing. Meanwhile, SGT Casterton saw the aircraft ablaze and, turning his turret outwards, baled out. At much the same time, FSGT Naylor crawled into the perspex dome in the front of the air- craft to do so as well. As he did so, the Halifax exploded and he was blown out, encased in the dome. Both men landed safely but were captured after evading the Germans for a few days. They were liberated at war's end. The rest of the crew perished in their aircraft. After landing, FLGOFF Lodder headed towards the burning wreck- age in the hope of finding some of his crew. However, there were no signs and with ammunition exploding all round the aircraft, he headed down a small track that took him to a small vil- lage. There, he met some villagers who treated him kindly. They carried out first aid and cleaned him up before tak- ing him to a nearby military hospital. The German medical staff attended to his wounds and about a fortnight later American forces over-ran the area. He was repatriated to the UK and recov- ered sufficiently to attend 462SQN's disbandment on September 24. His Halifax was the last 462SQN aircraft shot down during the war and the last Allied bomber shot down by a nightfighter. Now, 64 years later, a commemora- tive service for the five dead airmen is to be held at the crash site. A memorial is to be erected there while 462SQN will provide a plaque containing the names of the crew at a small roadside chapel nearby. Meanwhile, unofficial negotiations are in train for parts of the aircraft's wreckage that were recently recov- ered at the crash site to be returned to Australia for donation to the squadron and the Australian War Memorial. 462SQN's last loss UNLUCKY LAST: The only known photograph of 462SQN's Halifax MZ- 467, blown out of the sky just three weeks before the end of WWII. Below, the then pilot SGT Alan Lodder, taken in 1943. Photos: Greg Weir